


Taking Flight

by rudbeckia



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 05:44:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13428021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: Armitage and Kylo are going on holiday. Armitage has packed carefully, has his passport handy and knows how to behave in an airport.Kylo? Not so much.





	Taking Flight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AtlinMerrick](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtlinMerrick/gifts).



> Prompt from atlinmerrick over on tumblr. Thanks!

The customer support assistant’s smile did not waver while she waited for the large, dishevelled looking man to find his passport while his companion offered verbal assistance. Behind them, the mass of bodies held in place by a tensabarrier maze and resignation at the prospect of a long wait shuffled a step forwards. She handed the companion his passport with his boarding card tucked in like a bookmark.  
“Enjoy your flight, Mr Hux. Thank you for choosing _First Air-der._ Security South is quieter right now.”

Armitage took his passport and put it back into the little pocket in the front of his regulation-size carry on case that he used for his passport and nothing else. He sighed. “Well then. Now you know why I asked if you wanted me to look after your passport for you.”  
Kylo looked up with a thunderous expression. “If you have nothing better to say than _I told you so_ then please shut up.” He stuck his hand down the side of his bag, arm disappearing up to the elbow. His face turned from irritation to triumph, and he brandished his passport. He handed it to the assistant and she smiled at him the same way she smiled at her screen and her stack of luggage tags and Kylo’s suitcase on the conveyor beside her.  
“Thank you Mr... Solo.”

She frowned at her screen and double checked that the passport photograph matched the face watching her expectantly.  
“Ah. Mr Solo? There is a slight problem. Your ticket has been booked under the passenger name _Kylo Ren._ Have you brought documents to prove who you are?” Kylo pointed to his passport. “I mean,” said the assistant, smiling again, “can you prove that you are also Kylo Ren. Do you have documents that prove your alternative name?”  
“Uh,” Kylo shrugged. “I have...” He sighed. “No.”  
“Kylo! You _arse!”_ Armitage facepalmed. Kylo pointed in Armitage’s face.  
“You booked it! This is _your_ fault!”  
“When I asked you _what is your real name_ and you said _Kylo Ren_ I thought you knew I meant _what is the actual name on your passport!”_  
“Kylo Ren IS my _real_ name. You know that! And if you think—”

“Ahem?”

The assistant was smiling and waving her hand between them.  “If you take your passports and the credit card you booked with to the ticket sales desk over there,” she said, pointing, “you can change the name on the ticket then come back here to check in.”  
“But the queue!” complained Armitage, voice caculatedly desperate. “We stood in that for an hour! We’ll miss our flight!”  
The assistant’s smile softened a little. “No, no. Just come down the first class line at the end and back to my desk and I’ll sort you out right away. Tell the assistant Unamo is dealing with you.”

Armitage thanked the assistant and virtually dragged Kylo away. Thirty minutes later, ticket reissued and both passports and boarding cards safely clutched in their hands, they stood in the snaking line for security. Kylo asked for the third time, “What do you think she meant by _You have been randomly preselected for additional security screening?”_  
For the third time, Armitage said, “I have no idea. Perhaps you’re in for a body cavity search. Hope you had a bath this morning.”

Armitage was ready to make the trip through security simple. Shoes off. Laptop out. Belt off. Pockets emptied. Liquids in a transparent plastic bag. He walked into the body scanner, stood sideways and held his arms up for three seconds, wondering as always whether the person monitoring the scan could _actually_ see his penis, and was waved through without comment. He collected his bag and his tray of stuff and moved to the tables beyond the conveyor to put his shoes on and pack his case again. Kylo watched in dismay as his hand luggage was directed to the far side of the thick perspex barrier that separated the security staff from the travellers. A tall, blonde woman in a pale blue shirt with chevrons on the short sleeves pushed his belongings to the end of the conveyor.

“Is this yours?” she asked while putting on disposable gloves. Kylo nodded. Two more security staff walked over and stood behind Kylo, one on either side, as the woman opened his bag and started removing items one at a time. Armitage, footwear and belt restored, came over to see what the problem was.  
“Kylo? Tell me you didn’t pack your—”  
“What’s this?” the officer said, pointing at a plastic tub and swabbing it down with a device that looked for all the world like an electronic dish sponge.  
“It’s nothing,” replied Kylo as, in the background, Armitage muttered, _you fucking idiot!_

The officer, whose name badge declared her to be _Captain Phasma_ looked over at Armitage. “Are you travelling together?” Armitage seriously considered denying all knowledge of Kylo Ren, or Ben Solo, or whatever he wanted to call himself. He sighed and nodded. “In that case, my colleagues here, Officer FN2199 and Officer FN2003 will escort you to a private screening room.”  
“WHAT” Armitage stared, jaw dropping for a second. “But I just passed security! You lot did one of those body scans and everything!”  
“Please remain calm, sir,” said Officer FN2199. “This way.”

Armitage’s interview was short. It took the officer only a few minutes to establish that he was exactly who and what he said he was: just a bloke going on holiday with his boyfriend. His documents all checked and re-checked, his name and face cross referenced with the latest list of flight-risk suspected criminals and found to be absent, he was released with a friendly smile and an insincere apology.

Kylo was not having such an easy time. Hux waited outside the room where Kylo’s interview was taking place with a growing feeling of annoyance. He could hear Captain Phasma’s questions and Kylo’s responses well enough through the partition walls.  
_“What is the purpose of your trip?”_  
“I’m going on holiday.”  
_“Did you check any bags into the hold?”_  
“You KNOW I did. Your computer says so. Look!”  
_“Mr Solo, please remain on your own side of the table or I will order Officer FN2000 to restrain you. Someone will bring your checked bag for a thorough hand search.”_  
“Ugh you people. Give you a little power and you go crazy. Fine.” Armitage bit his lip and shook his head as he heard Kylo’s deliberately stamping feet. “Is this better?”  
_”Thank you Mr Solo. Now, what is in this container?”_  
“You tell me. You analysed it with your little electronic sniffer machine. What does _it_ think is in the box?”  
_”Mr Solo, please answer the question if you want to catch your flight today.”_  
“It’s... it’s... IT’S THE CREMAINS OF MY VANQUISHED ENEMIES! I carry it around as a reminder of ALL THE PEOPLE WHO GOT IN MY WAY AND PAID THE PRICE!”

Armitage looked at Officer FN2199, who shook his head and made a slashing motion across his neck. Armitage sighed at the scream-click-click-click-click-thump sound of Kylo being tasered and restrained. “Do you think,” he asked the officer, “that I can still get a refund on his ticket?”

 

He had a window seat. Armitage got on the plane as efficiently as he could, found his row, took out the smaller bag that contained everything he would need during the flight and stowed his carry on case in the overhead locker. A dark-haired man waited politely for Armitage to finish then followed an almost identical procedure before slipping into the aisle seat, with the empty middle seat between them. He smiled at Armitage.

“It’s worth being organised for a flight, don’t you think?”  
“Absolutely!” replied Armitage, fastening his seatbelt already. “Carry on luggage only and everything sorted into order.”  
“Oh yes,” the fellow-passenger nodded. “Saves so much time on the other side if you’re not hanging around waiting for your case. I can manage up to ten days away without having to check a bag.”  
“Mmhmm! Me too. I take just exactly what I need. Means you get into the immigration line before the rest of the passengers.”  
“And out into the taxi queue while there are still cars there so there’s no waiting.”

Armitage smiled and held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you. My name is Armitage Hux.”  
The man clasped Armitage’s hand in a firm, warm handshake. “Dopheld Mitaka. Wonder who’s going to get between us?”  
“Oh?” Armitage shook his head and smiled. “Nobody that matters.”


End file.
